Evlogia
by Half-Demon-Cali
Summary: Blessings come in all shapes and sizes, but Raven was unsure whether or not he deserved even the smallest of them all. [Oneshot]


Hooray for ED-commissioned fluff! (And hooray for me no longer being absolutely dirt poor.) The person wished to remain anonymous for some reason, which I am confused about because they're so awesome... But I shall respect their wishes. Cough I know you're tav's headcanoning anon cough.

Basically this was a themed challenge and I was ordered to fit in as much fluff as possible. ... I'm not used to fluff, but I did my best. And yes, the first part is first person PoV.

**Elsword - RS**

**Aisha - EM**

**Rena - GA**

**Raven - BM**

**Eve - CEm**

**Chung - IP**

* * *

_"You have indeed felt a great loss... but love is a form of energy, and it swirls all around us... It is still inside of your heart, and is reborn in the form of new love."_

_- Guru Pathik (Avatar: The Last Airbender, "The Guru")_

* * *

_I thought my life was over all those years ago. Between Alex's jealousy throwing me in prison, Seris and the Black Crows being slaughtered, the Nasods' move on my conscious… My semblance of normalcy was ripped apart faster than my victims had been. One day is all it takes for everything to go to hell. As a soldier, I knew this from early on. It was only when it happened that I really understood what that saying meant._

_Even if I'd been able to break free of the Nasods' control on my own, what would there have been for me to go back to? My love was dead, as were my comrades, and to atone for everything I'd done would've been an impossible task… Maybe killing myself was the best alternative. It was all I deserved, anyway. I wouldn't be able to take anymore lives if my own was eliminated._

_Yet… For all my negativity, I couldn't turn down the chance to turn things around._

_I'm not sure what possessed me to agree to their terms. I had no reason to travel around the country with a bunch of kids - Nor did I have the will to - And merely going about fighting crime like the hero of a child's fantasy didn't sound like it would be beneficial to me. Surely I couldn't atone for countless lives in such an easy way. There had to be a harder path than that; a more difficult one to assure me that I wasn't acting in vain._

_The voice of reason that hooked me came in the form of the woman who shared a face with my deceased fianc__ée. Saying that now, I realize how stupid I was. I fully recognize that Rena is her own person and that Seris has long since been buried; but back then I still had several issues to work out and my mourning over prior events wasn't quite finished. I couldn't look at Rena without horrible flashbacks popping up for months._

_Whether it was her gentle voice, warm disposition, or just the physical similarities… I gave in. Looking back, it was one of the better decisions of my life._

_Elsword and the others have become invaluable allies and friends - Things I never thought I'd have after the incident in Velder. Traveling with them these years has changed my views of the world significantly in comparison to my past self. It's been… refreshing. They're the first people I've come across who don't judge you for how you've acted or what you've done. It may be because everyone's had similarly unfortunate experiences that they can be so unwavering in their acceptance - They understand sadness and pain, and some of them even know the feeling of being burdened with lives not their own._

_Yet… I still question whether or not my being here is justified. There is so much in my life I don't feel I've earned… Even now, having made my home with the ones I care about… Friends, family, a sense of belonging…_

_How much of it do I genuinely deserve?_

"_…__ Raven…? Hey, Raven! You in there…?"_

* * *

"_Oi_, snap out of it already!"

Raven jolted to a stop as Elsword's yelling finally broke him from his thoughts. When his eyes managed to refocus on real life, they were met with the sight of red hair not four inches away. Raven took a startled step backward.

"Wha- Elsword? What are you-?"

"Hey, you're back among the living!" Elsword flashed his teacher his signature upbeat smile. "You know, going that deep into your own mind can be a pain for the rest of us sometimes!"

"... Wha-?"

"You were walking at a pace even an adolescent Phoru could easily match," Eve interjected. "We were quite some yards ahead before we noticed you weren't keeping up." Beside her, Ophelia and Chung nodded. Raven felt embarrassed at the unanimous agreement.

"Sorry," he mumbled tersely. "I was just… thinking about things."

"Yeah, we noticed," Elsword snorted. "Seems like your feet have been dragging for a while now. At least you weren't this bad during our actual job." Chung frowned at his teammate's cynicism.

"Come on, Elsword… You can hardly blame him for being distracted. He's got reason to be concerned." The paladin turned from one swordsman to the other as he asked, "You're worried about Rena, right? That's why you're spacing out more than you normally do?" Raven didn't keep hold of his neutral expression for long before letting out a sigh.

"_…_ Is it _that _obvious?" Chung opened his mouth to reply but was cut off by Elsword.

"You were _yards _behind us," he repeated. "It's obvious."

"But it's alright!" Chung added in quickly. "It's justified! We're all a little worried, after all..."

"I'm not," Eve said. "Rena is a very strong person, physically and emotionally. She has been through worse. I even left behind Oberon in case any danger should arise while she is incapacitated, even though statistically there is a very low chance of such events taking place."

"Yeah, but…"

"She's been through a lot, for sure," Elsword agreed, balancing his sword on his shoulder. "But I don't know about _worse_… I mean, she just started this morning, and the women back in Ruben always used to on about how _painful_ it is…"

"None of them are warriors, though. Is that correct?" Though Eve's expression remained passive, she still went on to reassure her nervous friend. "You have nothing to fear. Rena can endure much and I am confident Aisha and the other woman will do everything they can to make sure the process goes smoothly."

"Yeah, you're right. No worries, Raven. I'm sure Mrs. Rotten will know what to do if something goes wrong!" Raven paled slightly at those words. Elsword didn't hesitate to backtrack. "No, wait a- That's not-! What I mean is-! It's not like something _will _go wrong, I just meant-!" Ophelia covered Elsword's mouth with her hands and held him firm before he could ramble more.

"Stop talking. We must resume walking if we want to make it back to the house before sundown and you're hindering this step. Ophelia, you may leave him be for now; but you have my permission to discipline him if he becomes another impediment." The Nasod maid silently did as she was told while her queen went ahead. Once free, Elsword ran to catch up with Eve and started yelling about being manhandled against his will.

Raven followed the two at a lethargic pace. He knew he shouldn't be this slow; he didn't _want _to be this slow, either… But every doubt he'd ever had about himself was suddenly weighing down on him, adding more pressure that he didn't need.

He felt idiotic, worrying about these things now; but it seemed like second-guessing himself had become part of his nature, especially where his own well-being was concerned.

_Is it truly alright… for me to be happy?_

A hand on his shoulder interrupted him. Raven glanced at its owner in surprise. Chung smiled warmly.

"You should cheer up a little," he said. "It's not every day a man becomes a father. He should be allowed to smile for _that _at least. Don't you think?" Though his face was still etched with worry, Raven managed a small smile of his own.

"I suppose you're right_…_"

* * *

The sun had just begun to set by the time their home came into view. Audible relief came from both Elsword and Chung, the former much louder in voicing his desire for dinner. Eve scolded him for having such a one-track mind.

"Do try to remember that your stomach is not and will never be a high priority - Especially on a day such as this. Though I'm sure everything has gone well, I am eager to see how Rena is faring and wish to check up on her at the earliest availability."

The Nasod queen definitely wasn't the only one with this intention. Raven had picked up the pace long ago, now walking ahead of the accompanying four as opposed to behind. Apprehension gripped tighter at his chest with various what-if scenarios, each ranging from bad to worse. What if, amidst his babbling, Elsword was right? What if something went wrong? What if there was danger and Oberon wasn't enough protection?

_What if they didn't make it-_

Raven instantly shook his head at the unsettling thought. He wasn't going to allow himself to be _that _pessimistic. Why did he always have to jump to the worst conclusions first? Rena was fine. Their son or daughter would be too; after all, Mrs. Rotten had assured him many times over that she knew what she was doing. On the opposite end… Oberon was a strong and agile Nasod, mention incredibly skilled with his tonfas. Aisha herself was no pushover with it came to battle, either. Logically speaking, he shouldn't be this worried. Everything would be fine.

Still… If the woman he loved or their child were to pass on… Or, Lady of El forbid, _both _of them… He wouldn't be able to take such a huge loss for a second time.

"Hey, isn't that Aisha?"

A second snap back to reality later, Raven noticed the bouncing head of purple hair that Elsword had pointed out. The elemental mage was running out of their house with a canvas bag in her hands.

"Where is she going?" Chung wondered aloud. "Isn't she supposed to be helping with Rena's delivery?"

"I would assume her exit is a sign that her assistance is no longer required," Eve commented. "Perhaps the process has finished?" Chung suddenly looked as panicked as Raven did.

"You think so? Should we go ask her to make sure?"

"I think one of us already has that covered," Elsword pointed out nonchalantly. "See?"

Eve and Chung turned in the same direction the cannon-wielder was facing. Raven was already running towards the departing girl with no hesitation at all.

"Wha-? Hey! Wait up!" Chung yelled. He and the others quickly sprinted after the worrisome swordsman, a trail of dust taking their place.

* * *

"Aisha!"

Her name was enough to stop her in her tracks. Aisha skidded to a halt to meet with the approaching male voice. By her expression, she was surprised to see its owner.

"Raven! … And everyone else too, apparently," she added as an afterthought once seeing her other teammates catching up. "You guys are back already? There's a lot of distance between here and Feita!"

"Ah, well, we didn't actually go all the way to Feita," Chung explained as he and the others stopped behind Raven. "Lento met us halfway and we went from there."

"Oh? No wonder you all were so quick to clean up that territorial feud… Since you're all here though, what do you guys want for dinner?" She held the bag up to elbow level. "Mrs. Rotten told me to go to the marketplace, so..."

"_Aisha_," Raven started again, emphasizing her name impatiently. Aisha immediately switched her attention to him and put on a large, knowing smile.

"Raven… Are you eager to see Rena?" Not bothering to answer, the master fencer fired off some questions of his own.

"Is everything okay? How is she? Why are you out here? Are they both sa-"

"You can relax, you know," Aisha interrupted him good-naturedly. "Everything is _fine_. No need to stress so much. Just take a few breaths and calm yourself down. Can you do that for me?"

"I'm fairly certain he can," Eve cut in. "However, he won't until you stop delaying and actually give him _reasons _not to be stressed."

"She's okay?" Raven had stopped listening at 'fine'. "Rena is okay?"

"Why must I have to repeat myself..." Aisha mumbled through an exasperated groan. "She's **_fine_**. She gave birth a little more than two hours ago. About ten hours in total… I feel so _bad _for her."

"Ten hours!?" Elsword and Chung exclaimed in unified disbelief.

"Is that considered a long time?" Eve inquired. Aisha shook her head.

"No, Mrs. Rotten said that was about average. Though from what I've seen and heard today, I don't think I want kids for a long, _**long **_time…"

"Pffth. Like anyone would want to have kids with _you_…"

"Sorry, I didn't quite catch that. Mind repeating that a little _louder_, Elsword?" No response. Aisha stuck her tongue out at the frowning redhead. "_Thought_ so." As Elsword muttered something under his breath, the mage returned to her conversation with Raven. "Anyway… Both Rena and the baby are okay in every sense of the word. You can wipe the worried sulk from your face." With a wink, she jokingly added, "_I'm_ just hoping that scowl of yours isn't something inheritable. He's adorable as a mini-you, but I'd _much _rather see his default expression be a smile." Raven's eyes widened.

"… 'He'…?"

"Yup." Aisha reached up and patted his shoulder. "Congratulations, Raven. You've got a little boy."

Before Raven could even process a proper reaction, Elsword slapped him across the back as hard as he could and gave a cheer.

"_Alright_! We've got another swordsman in the making!"

"Elsword! He's not even a day old and you're saying that?"

"You are a simpleton."

"What's with you guys!? I'm happy for him!"

"_Too_ happy, from my point of view…" Chung, not interested in the quarreling, merely looked over at Raven with insistent blue eyes.

"You can go ahead, if you want. I know you've been dying to get back, so keeping you here seems kind of mean."

"Ah…" The cannoneer was right. He was already home, so what was stopping him from going to check up on Rena and their newest family member? A bit hesitantly, Raven called Aisha's name to draw her attention from Elsword. "Is it… alright if I go see them?"

"… _Weeeell_," the purplenette drew out. "You _could…_ Last I checked though, Rena and Mini-Me were asleep. Enter at your own risk, if you want to; but first… I'd recommend showering." To stress the suggestion, Aisha wrinkled her nose. "The same goes for the rest of you. You all stink."

"Like it's _our _fault we were halfway in swamp water for most of the day?" Elsword muttered. Chung laughed nervously.

"Though she's right, we _do _stink… Me probably more than you guys, since my armor's undoubtedly brought some of our job home with it…"

"Ophelia, please prepare the second floor's bath for me," Eve commanded. "I wish to cleanse myself of the filth I meandered around in earlier." Ophelia nodded and bowed before dashing off to carry out her queen's order. Elsword gaped.

"Hey! I was gonna go take a shower there!"

"Ladies first," Aisha smirked. "I guess that means you get the first floor bathroom, Raven. Not that I'm saying you're a lady, but I think you have more of a reason to want to finish up quickly. Am I right?" Raven gave a nod in thanks.

"I'm… I'll be off, then. Thank you."

"Oh, save the thanks for later! You have stuff to do!"

* * *

The shower was definitely an improvement. Not only did being cleansed of swamp muck feel great, but it gave Raven a bit more time to sort out his thoughts.

The relief he felt knowing Rena was alright had done away with much of the tension he'd felt earlier. It was like a huge sigh, the way his worries had just melted and flowed down the drain with the rest of the water. He didn't think it was possible to feel this alleviated after being so anxious for the entire day.

Hell, he was surprised by the realization of just _how _anxious he'd been. Certainly, Rena going into labor just before they left to meet with Lento was ample reason to be worried beyond belief; but how he'd managed to get through their job without tripping over his own feet in distraction was a mystery he wouldn't be solving in the coming years.

For now, he had other matters to take care of.

Despite not being explicitly worried, the thought of seeing his son for the first time wracked his nerves - The encouraging hug he'd gotten from Mrs. Rotten beforehand only easing his mind so much. (He definitely owed her an apology for not warning her about his clothes.)

Was he supposed to feel this way? The more instinctual side of him said yes; it was only natural to have some butterflies before meeting your own child. However, the part of his mind that didn't want him to be happy kept nagging and nagging.

Did he even have a _right _to meet his son? The universe certainly liked taking away the things he cared about. What if by just being there, he was risking both his and Rena's safety? After all, his past has taught him was that the people he was closest to were the ones in the most danger…

More than that… What if he was a failure as a parent? Being on his own from a young age, he had little to no idea how he was supposed to act as one. The most experience he'd had was watching the kids in Velder interact with their own guardians around the city; and even then he hadn't payed attention to them for long.

Then there was the microscopic part of him that wondered: What if his son learned about what he'd done as the captain of the Black Crow? What if he rejected him outright? It was such a miniscule area of his mind fussing over the issue, but it had such a large voice behind it…

… And he was _really _starting to get paranoid over meaningless speculation. Had he always been like this?

When he got to the end of the hall, Oberon was on watch outside of Rena's room. This surprised him slightly, as he had no idea why the Nasod was stationed there. Though he'd been wondering where Eve's butler had been since they returned, he didn't expect the masked servant to be standing guard there for the entire day.

As Raven approached, Oberon turned his head in notice. Raven rubbed the back of his neck as he spoke to the Nasod.

"I, uh… Is it alright for me to go in?" Oberon seemed to ponder a bit before stepping aside and bowing. Raven nodded in thanks and walked past the silent guard, dismissing him as he opened the door. "You can go back to Eve if you want… I'm here now, so it's okay. Make sure Eve gives you a pastry or something as a reward. Tell her I said to."

Oberon immediately stood up and, with as much glee as his helmet could show, gripped Raven's hands firmly in gratitude and went to go collect his edible compensation. Raven just shook his head at the Nasod butler's actions and closed the door behind him.

* * *

There were two things he noticed about the room upon entering.

One; the fact that there were no other sounds aside from what the open window allowed in.

Two; the fact that he could smell sweat as if it were any other everyday sensation.

Raven grimaced as he remembered what Aisha had told him about Rena. Ten hours of enduring that kind of pain, in the heat of late summer… He shouldn't be surprised that she'd perspired so much. Even so, it wasn't disgusting. There was a fresh breeze via the window and the scent of clean sheets taking its place more every second he stood there. It was bearable. Plus, he kept in mind that _he'd _probably smelled worse before coming out of the shower.

With no other obvious observations to be made, Raven turned his golden gaze over to where Rena was lying down. Her hair was sprawled out facing the left side of the room, her right shoulder visible from under the covers.

Raven took light steps over to the right side of her bed - One hardly big enough for two people - And quietly made sure his entrance hadn't woken her up. Luckily, Rena was still resting and had barely stirred at his presence.

A rare, genuine smile found its way to the surface. The occasions where she looked this peaceful and calm were scarce thanks to their jobs. He was glad she could retain such an ethereal expression while she was sleeping. When his eyes moved from her face, he could finally focus on the blanket-wrapped bundle cradled in her arms.

Raven warily sat himself at the edge of the bed. He didn't want to wake Rena with the movement, but he wanted a closer look and _he'd never seen something so tiny before…_

Lady of El, the boy was barely the combined size of Eve's drones… Was he _supposed _to be this small?

Gently, he moved the blanket away from the infant's face to inspect him more closely. Though he understood the reasoning behind Aisha's 'Mini-Me' comment, he couldn't see it. His hair, wispy and sticking up, was as dark as Raven's own, but his skin was fair as opposed to dark and his cheeks were red and rosy; and that was leaving out the way his ears were pointed rather than curved.

'Mini-Me' was definitely not an applicable nickname. He'd have to correct Aisha later.

As he moved the blanket some more, his fingers brushed up against the boy's cheek ever-so-slightly. Almost instantaneously, his eyes popped open at the contact and Raven found himself being stared back at by two spring bud orbs.

Raven's breath hitched in his throat. He instantly pulled his hand away, afraid that he'd somehow hurt the little infant. Stares were held until Raven was sure he was just being paranoid. His arm dropped back to his lap as his breath let out in relief. The last thing he wanted to do was screw something up before he was even a father for a _day_.

_A father_… He could call himself that now, couldn't he? By definition, he certainly could; but was he allowed to? Did he deserve such an honored title? Having a child of his own seemed too much of a miracle already…

Raven heard a gurgle from below. He glanced back and caught the tiny boy still staring up at him. The only difference was that one of his hands was now visible and moving near his chin. Raven chuckled at the action.

"Is that supposed to be you saying hello?" he joked lightly. He wasn't expecting a response. He knew better. A newborn couldn't process any complicated thoughts. Still… Even if it was just a sentence, he was amazed at how it helped ease his tension to talk to his son.

_His son…_ How would he ever get used to that? He'd been in more battles than he could count, been scarred just as much… His victims ranged from dozens and hundreds… He'd been arrested more than once, he had various issues with trust… At one point he'd been a living embodiment of destruction, and now _he had a son_…

"Mmm, don't you ever stop frowning…?"

Raven immediately switched his attention to Rena upon hearing her voice. The archer propped herself up on her arm and blinked sleepily. The bundle next to her made a noise at the movement. Raven twisted himself around so he could talk without being at an angle.

"You're awake…"

"Yes, I am," she replied in a light-hearted tone. "And so is he, apparently…" Rena smiled down at their son contentedly. "Did daddy wake you up with his scowling~?" Raven sputtered at the indirect jab.

"I- I don't-! I wasn't-! … I wasn't scowling," he protested. "I… I was just… thinking."

"Not _over_-thinking, I hope."

Raven said nothing to that. Rena merely gave him a playful, knowing glare.

"_Well_," she went on as she pushed herself to a sitting position. "I hope some of your thinking went towards figuring out a name."

Raven froze. Right. A name. Of _course _he needed a name… That was the most important thing a parent needed to do, right? How had he not remembered that? He'd definitely given some thought to it over the past months, but lately… Rena didn't notice his inner dilemma, favoring picking up her son over chastising her partner.

"I tried thinking of some names myself," she admitted. "The ones I thought of don't really _fit _him, though... Then again, he doesn't seem like an elf so Elvish names probably won't work."

"What do you mean?" Raven raised a brow at her comment. He gave a fleeting gesture towards the boy's ears. "You can tell he's one by just looking at him."

"I wasn't talking about physical features," Rena corrected. The child in her arms played with her fingers as she spoke. "Maybe my wording was off… What I meant is… He doesn't _feel _like an elf."

"... He doesn't _feel _like one…?"

"I don't know how else to phrase it. Sorry…" Rena moved her index finger back and forth, letting the little boy trying to get ahold of it again as a game. "It's probably because he's only half Elven that I'm having difficulties with a name."

"You mean because he's part human?" Raven had mixed feelings about that. He doubted the sentiment behind her explanation was negative, but it sounded almost insulting to him. (What was that he said about being paranoid?)

"No, that's not it," Rena assured him calmly. "It's because half of him is _you_… and you're definitely no elf."

"... Huh?" Obviously he wasn't one, but… Now he was royally confused. With a giggle, Rena added,

"He feels more like you than me… A warrior, a soldier… A knight rather than an archer. I don't know any good names for a knight."

"I'm not a knight, Rena."

"You are to me."

It was a good way to end an argument before it even started. Behind his blush, Raven coughed. "Th-Then… If you don't have any ideas, then what do you suggest…?" Rena bit her lip in thought.

"Where I come from, the one who names a child is the woman's father-in-law; but I don't think that's really an option, is it?" Raven grimaced. That _definitely _wasn't an option. The blonde frowned as she continued. "My own father would have to name him in a case like this… but that's not going to happen either, for equally understandable reasons." Raven shared in her vexed expression.

"Well, humans don't have any strict naming traditions… Usually it's the parents' responsibility. Sometimes people are named for their grandparents, most of the time not."

"I see…" Rena shifted the child into a more comfortable position. "In that case, do _you_ have any names in mind?" Raven looked down and away.

"… One…" he answered shortly, "but it's probably a bad idea."

"I want to hear it."

"But-"

"Raven, it can't be _that_ horrible. Just tell me. The worst I can do is say no." Raven drummed his claws along the side of the bed, his human hand gripping the sheets.

"… _row_…"

"Hmm?" Rena blinked. "Can you speak up? I didn't hear you."

"I said… What about Crow?"

The elf's eyes widened at the suggestion. Raven's ears turned red. He knew it was a bad name. He'd wanted to use it as a sign of respect to the original Black Crows, his comrades from his early days… but it also recognizes parts of his past that he wanted buried.

That tragic day in Velder, the airship he'd been forced to pilot… That was too much baggage to lay on a small child.

He never should've said anything. He definitely wasn't the right person to give a name to another human being.

"Forget it, Rena," he muttered. "It's a-"

"I like it."

Raven's mouth remained open at his interrupted sentence. Rena used her freer hand to close it for him, ignoring the protesting gurgle from her son.

"You don't have to look so shocked, you know," she berated. "I meant what I said. _I like it_."

"… You… do?"

"Why wouldn't I?" Rena's index finger returned to its job as a toy. "It holds a lot of meaning for you, doesn't it? I understand completely. Back home, we also have the idea of naming children after those who have fallen. I find it touching."

"That's…" Raven's protests came out strangled. "It's why I chose it at first, but… But then…"

"The Black Crow… Is that what you're thinking of?" The swordsman tensed at the airship's name.

"Y- … Yeah…" His voice kept its low volume. "That… wasn't a good time for me… I don't deserve to give my son such a name. I barely deserve to have him in the first place… And I'm still questioning whether or not I deserve to be this happy. How could I even think about giving _my own child_ a name with all of my sins behind it?"

There was a heavy silence following his admittance. Raven inwardly seethed. Those were his main doubts, his biggest worries… He hadn't meant to dump the inner workings of his mind on her like that. He needed to get things off his chest, but at the same time he would've been content keeping that all in his head. There were few times in his life where he wished he could take back something he'd said, and this was definitely one of them. Rena didn't need to know how insecure he actually was.

Nevertheless, his words didn't stun her for long.

"... Do you honestly think that? Do you hold your opinion of yourself that low?" Rena questioned him seriously. "In _my_ opinion, Raven, there are few people who deserve happiness more than you. You've done some bad things in the past, but you truly regret them and you've worked to make up for them ever since you got your conscious back from the King Nasod. You're a good person with a good heart, and a noble swordsman. I think that, and so do the others. Only blind people can't see beyond the past." Her brows furrowed. "Indirectly or not, you just admitted that you're happy. Act more like it. And if I ever hear you doubt yourself again, I'm going to _beat _some positivity into you. Understand?"

He did understand, just like he understood that Rena was fully capable of carrying out that threat; but his subconscious wasn't going to be won over so easily.

"It doesn't change what I've done," he said bitterly. "That ship… What I did while piloting the Black Crow is fact and can never be completely erased."

"That's true… However, if you hadn't been on that ship… we never would've met."

Though he'd been clenching them shut ever since he'd let his mouth run, Raven's eyes sprang open upon the realization that Rena was one hundred percent right. For all the terrible memories that airship carried… Had he not been the captain, had he not been the Nasod's pawn in the search for the El… He never would have met her. He never would have met any of the others. He never would have thought about living. He never would have gotten past his mourning. He never would have been able to atone.

He never would have fallen in love again.

_He never would have been a father._

"Raven…" Rena's melodic tone called him back. "I like the name because it has a special meaning for me too. It honors your friends and celebrates where everything started. I hope you'll take that into consideration."

"I have," he replied. The meaning… For her, it was a name that stemmed from the moment they met each other. It led them to where they were now. That was something he wouldn't ignore and couldn't forget. Rena smiled in amusement.

"Now I have both a raven _and_ a crow to deal with… I hope he lives up to the name and becomes more social than his daddy." Without breaking his character too much, Raven laughed at the comment.

"So, are we… definitely choosing that name?" He already knew the answer, but felt it best to make sure. As he waited for a reply, Raven leaned over and replaced Rena's finger with his own in front of the child. Crow was fascinated by the fingers' switch and immediately latched onto his new toy.

The amount of warmth and pride he got from that one action was like nothing he'd ever felt before. His face must've shown as such because Rena began giggling unashamedly at him.

"Mmm… Yes. I think we are."

* * *

Okay believe it or not I could've fit more fluff into this but I was making myself sick with diabetes so I cut some out. Really hope the aforementioned awesome person doesn't demand a refund.

- If you don't read ElType you won't know who Mrs. Rotten is.*

- Crows are more social than ravens and like groups rather than being solitary. Huehuehue.

- Oberon + pastries = OTP (Go read This Breathless World, now.)

- I was trying to use just the first jobs and only those... But the more I wrote Elboy, the more he sounded RS instead.

(To the people who watch me for my Fairy Tail stuff, I wish I could say I was sorry for not updating... But I'm really not.)


End file.
